- a small piece of shaped metal with incisions cut to fit the wards of a particular lock, and which is placed into a lock and turned to open or close it钥匙。
- a similar implement for operating a switch in the form of a lock, especially one operating the ignition of a motor vehicle锁状开关的钥匙; （尤指）汽车点火钥匙。
- an instrument for grasping and turning a screw, peg, or nut, especially one for winding a clock or turning a valve（拧螺丝钉、木钉、螺帽, 尤指上时钟发条或旋阀门用的）钥匙, 扳手。
- a pin, bolt, or wedge inserted between other pieces, or fitting into a hole or space designed for it, so as to lock parts together销子, 楔, 栓。
- one of several buttons on a panel for operating a typewriter, word processor, or computer terminal（操作打字机、文字处理器或计算机终端的）键。
- a lever depressed by the finger in playing an instrument such as the organ, piano, flute, or concertina琴键。
- a lever operating a mechanical device for making or breaking an electric circuit, for example in telegraphy电键, 电钥。
- a thing that provides a means of gaining access to or understanding something（寻求、探索或理解某事物的）关键：
the key to Derek's behaviour may lie submerged in his unhappy past.
弄清德里克行为的关键可能隐匿在他不幸的过去中。
- an explanatory list of symbols used in a map, table, etc.（地图、图表等上的）符号表, 凡例。
- a set of answers to exercises or problems（练习或问题的）答案。
- a word or system for solving a cipher or code密钥。
- the first move in the solution of a chess problem（下棋的）关键一着。
- Computing a field in a record which is used to identify that record uniquely【计算机】关键码。
- Music a group of notes based on a particular note and comprising a scale, regarded as forming the tonal basis of a piece or passage of music【乐】调, 主调：
the key of E minor.
E小调。
- the tone or pitch of someone's voice（人的）声调：
his voice had changed to a lower key.
他的声音变得低沉了。
- figurative the prevailing tone or tenor of a piece of writing, situation, etc.〈喻〉（文章、形势等）主调, 基调：
it was like the sixties all over again, in a new, more austerely intellectual key.
在一种新的更加质朴的理性基调中, 好像一切都回到了60年代。
- the prevailing range of tones or intensities in a painting（绘画的）基本色调：
these mauves, lime greens, and saffron yellows recall the high key of El Greco's palette.
这些紫红色、石灰绿色和藏红花黄色让人回想起格列柯明快的高色调。
- the dry winged fruit of an ash, maple, or sycamore, typically growing in bunches; a samara（梣树、枫树或无花果树的）翼果。
- the part of a first coat of wall plaster that passes between the laths and so secures the rest板条间首层灰泥。
- in sing. the roughness of a surface, helping the adhesion of plaster or other material（有助于石膏等黏附的）粗糙表面。
- Basketball the keyhole-shaped area marked on the court near each basket【篮球】罚球区。
- of paramount or crucial importance关键的, 重要的：
she became a key figure in the suffragette movement.
她成为妇女参政运动中的关键人物。
- enter or operate on (data) by means of a computer keyboard用计算机键盘输入（或操作）（数据）：
she keyed in a series of commands
她键入了一系列命令
no obj. a hacker caused considerable disruption after keying into a vital database.一名黑客进入一个重要数据库后造成了巨大的破坏。
- with obj. and adverbial（一般作be keyed）fasten (something) in position with a pin, wedge, or bolt用别针（或楔子, 栓）固定：
the coils may be keyed into the slots by fibre wedges.
线圈可以用纤维楔固定在槽中。
key something to
make something fit in with or be linked to使与…符合（或适合）; 使与…关联：this optimism is keyed to the possibility that the US might lead in the research field.
这种乐观情绪与美国可能领先该研究领域的前景正相符合。
key someone/thing into/in with
cause someone or something to be in harmony with使（某人或某事）与…共处（或一致）; 使…与…相安无事：to those who are keyed into his lunatic sense of humour, the arrival of any Bergman movie is a major comic event.
就对那种荒唐的幽默感已经习以为常的人而言, 任何一部伯格曼的新片都是一件逗乐的盛事。
- roughen (a surface) to help the adhesion of plaster or other material（为便于黏附灰泥或其他材料）将（表面）弄粗糙。
- word (an advertisement in a particular periodical), typically by varying the form of the address given, so as to identify the publication generating particular responses（为便于确定对某一特定刊物上所登广告的反应程度而）给（广告）加识别编码。
- N. Amer. informal be the crucial factor in achieving〈北美, 非正式〉成为获得…的关键要素：
Ewing keyed a 73-35 advantage on the boards with twenty rebounds.
埃文以20个篮板球成为保持73比35优势的关键因素。
- informal vandalize (a car) by scraping its paint with a key〈非正式〉用钥匙刮漆破坏（汽车）; 用钥匙刮划（汽车）的表漆。
in（或out of）key
- in (or out of) harmony（不）协调：
this vaguely uplifting conclusion is out of key with the body of his book.
这一含糊其辞地鼓舞人心的结尾与该书的主体不协调。
under lock and key
- 见LOCK1.
keyed
adjectivekeyer
nounkeyless
adjectivekey someone up
- make someone nervous, tense, or excited, especially before an important event（尤指在重要事情开始前）使紧张, 使兴奋。